The Place For My Writers Notes

Writer's Digest, December 1991, pages 30-33, had an article by David L. Carroll talking about style. He starts off by suggesting that of course, any professional's lifelong aim is to learn to write as well as you possibly can. At the same time, there are some shortcuts and tricks of the trade that can be useful. Then he provides descriptions of 14 of these "tricks." Here they are!

1. After making a strategic or dramatic point, move away from your subject for a moment, then return with sudden force. In other words, introduce the topic, then relax a moment with some other idea, and then come back to the original subject in a way that ties the two together.

2. Three ways to keep your reader emotionally involved: 1. Present a mystery, then unravel it in stages. 2. Create a situation of jeopardy than resolve it. 3. Identify a problem that readers are personally experiencing, then help them overcome it.

3. Use action to make a significant point. Show, don't tell. Dynamic imagery and motion!

4. Use a series of short sentences to build tension. Usually at a moment of tense action, short sentences with strong verbs adds intensity and builds drama.

5. Be careful using the dash. It's powerful, but don't overdo it.

6. Vary the lengths of your sentences and paragraphs. Mix it up.

7. When you're stuck for the right way to say it, try… Sometimes you need to use a grammatical device such as asking a question, giving a command, a quotation, a different subject, different punctuation, a joke, get personal with the reader, examples, emotions, an anecdote, a list, facts,…

8. Shift emotional directions in the middle of a sentence. "Sudden emotional changes can be stimulating to readers if done properly."

9. Introduce a string of short, descriptive words and phrases to make an emphatic point. Short sentences with strong adjectives and images might do the trick.

10. Avoid unnecessary connectives. Watch out for those transition words.

11. Don't weaken your prose with too many unnecessary adverbial qualifiers.

12. Use intentional redundancy on occasion. Sometimes, repeat yourself.

13. Make your sentences rise to a climax; let them reveal their most significant information at the end.

14. Use grace notes. Little asides and action that add humor or emotional color can make your story better.

There you go. Some little tricks you might consider while writing, or while revising.